It’s not the greatest feeling, leading your crew into a perilous situation. Anders had done it a hundred times, and it had never grown easier. Especially when up against someone as unreasonable and unstable as Maddix. Backing someone like her into a corner, which their plan was designed to do, could make her react in unanticipated ways.

The first task in his plan was waking the ship. They would simply emerge from the shadows and reach out to Maddix.

“Sorry I’m late, Cap,” Wick announced as he darted into the cockpit. “There’s something going on with the cloaking...thing.”

“Sounds like you need a name for it,” Jones said with a chuckle, eyes focused on the console in front of him...